I need help with the platform. What should I do?

Do I need to subscribe to Tierra to use the platform?

Why are no incidents visible in my state?

Our team is working hard to obtain the most detailed data possible for every state in Mexico. However, georeferenced information is not yet available in some states, so we can’t display incidents in these.

Where does Tierra obtain its incident data from?

We have three main data sources:

Government databases (Mexico’s Executive Secretariat for Public Security, state attorneys’ offices, and 911 call records).

Private databases.

Online media monitoring.

Our databases are processed to remove errors and ensure that incidents aren’t counted twice. We standardize the data on the incidents we include to be able to compare different parts of the country.

Can I download Tierra’s databases?

Not at present.

What are the numbers in circles on Tierra’s maps?

The numbers you see on the map are risk scores. They draw on data from different sources, which is then corrected for bias using different sociodemographic variables and factoring in the possibility that some crimes may be underreported. The score is a number on a scale of 0 (safest) to 10 (most dangerous). The default display number is the combined score for all incident types.

What types of incidents are included in Tierra’s risk score?

We include all incidents that are directly related to criminal violence, along with incidents that are not defined as punishable offenses in the Mexican criminal code but that may affect traffic or indicate criminal presence in a given area.

Can I add other types of incidents to the ones used in Tierra’s risk score?

No. Our risk score is based on painstaking analysis of different factors that are associated with violence, with a focus on incidents that are punishable by law in Mexico or that are significant for other reasons. To find out more about our risk scores and the variables we use, write to info@tierra.co.

How does Tierra build its risk scores?

We weight incidents differently depending on the severity of the crime involved. This ensures that our scores are comparable from one state, municipality, or neighborhood to the next.

Can I change how each incident is weighted?

No, incident weightings cannot be customized.

What does the risk score mean? Is there a place that has a score of 10?

Our risk score algorithm analyzes the densities of crimes in a given area, factoring in the population size, time, and other socioeconomic variables. Tierra then compares all the locations available in our database and generates a score for each on a scale of 0 (safest) to 10 (most dangerous).We always assign a score of 10 to the most dangerous place in a given period based on the incidents being calculated and the type of risk being assessed (static or dynamic). More than one location might be assigned a risk score of 10, and that score may change if you adjust the time period, crime types, or risk type in your query.

My neighborhood has a risk score of 3.6. What does that mean?

A 3.6 risk score means that your neighborhood falls roughly within the 36th percentile of areas in Mexico ranked by incident risk.

Why are the risk scores for short routes so low?

Our risk scores currently focus on returning meaningful values for areas and routes that feed our algorithm with sufficient data. At present, you need to search for routes that are at least 1km long to obtain a statistically reliable score that is not affected by random variations. We’re improving our platform to offer reliable risk scores for routes of any length.

I searched for a route from Mexico City to Cancún: why is the risk score for driving lower than walking or going by bike? Wouldn’t walking be more dangerous?

We are still developing our risk scores for routes. For now, route scores mostly reflect the number of incidents that are occurring along a route but not the fact that some forms of transportation make you more vulnerable than others (for example, walking implies longer travel times and thus more exposure to danger, while cars provide you more physical “protection” than when you’re on a bike or on foot). Because we do not currently factor in this vulnerability, we cannot compare the risk scores for walking, biking, and driving the same route.Instead, risk scores are valid when comparing different routes using the same form of transportation: in this example, you could compare two different driving routes between Cancún and Mexico City to find out which is riskiest, or—if you were feeling like doing a lot of exercise—two different cycling routes, but not a cycling route and a driving route.We hope to factor transportation vulnerability into our risk score soon.

I was robbed in Mexico City in November, but I can’t see the incident on the map. Why not?

There are three possible reasons.

If you’re expecting to see the incident as part of the public data Tierra displays, it may be the case that it was not reported to the authorities.

If you’re expecting to see an incident that is part of data provided by your organization, it may not have been recorded properly or your organization may not have provided Tierra the latest version of its database.

Tierra currently shows a maximum of 800 georeferenced incidents per screen. If the specific incident you are looking for does not appear, try narrowing your search or customizing the time frame to improve the likelihood of it appearing.

Am I seeing every incident that has taken place in the area during the time period I specified?

Probably. Tierra’s map displays a maximum of 800 incidents at a time—showing more would overload the map and make it impossible to use. In other words, if there are less than 800 incidents in the area you are looking at, you’re seeing all the georeferenced incidents in our database. If there are more than 800 then you won’t be able to see every incident in the area at once.

Can I create an account for my children?

No, Tierra users must be 18 or over.

Can I report an incident through Tierra’s platform?

No. The platform draws exclusively on verified public or private data sets. If you need to report a crime, we suggest you contact the relevant authorities. By doing so, you will also be contributing indirectly to Tierra’s data. If you possess data that you think may be of interest to Tierra, please write to us at info@tierra.co.

Can I receive notifications if my neighborhood’s risk score changes?

Not yet. Tierra does not have a notification feature for now, but the platform displays statistics on changes in crime rates and compares the risk score and incident numbers in the area you are looking at with other parts of each country.

How many people can use my account?

Each Tierra account is individual and can only be used by the person whose email address is associated with it.

How can I access Tierra from my phone?

We don't currently have a mobile app or mobile-friendly version of the platform. But Tierra will work on any laptop or desktop.

How does Tierra use my personal information?

Is my company’s data visible to other users?

No. Tierra’s platform only allows you to visualize specific incidents when the data on these is public or has been reported by your organization. Users outside your organization will not be able to see specific georeferenced incidents from your database when they use the platform. However, these incidents are taken into account for our risk scores, which draw on all data that is shared with us.

Can I use Tierra in other countries?

We are currently only aggregating and analyzing data in Mexico. Other countries will be added as soon as we can enable them.